S701G vs FMT3006 lvlp Newbie needs advice

[Bullina Chinashop]

Hey all,
I am tooling up for a new furniture project and setting up a small spray booth. My compressor is a 8.75cfm 50L 3hp Sealey and I dont have the funds to upgrade it any time soon. I am going to buy 2 guns first, 1 for primer and 1 for top/clear.

I have whittled my choices down to these two guns and wondered if anyone has experience of working with both and can tell me which they thought was best?

The way I see it:

The S701G gets great reviews and has a two stage trigger, but draws more air so may not give me constant service on my compressor.

The FMT3006 is LVLP and sold by Fast Mover (so a reasonable make and is a rebranded Auarita L-898 as far as I can tell?). On paper it looks like it can provide continuous service on my compressor. Only a single stage trigger and I cant find any reviews on it, unlike the Sealey which everyone seems to agree is a good gun.

I would really appreciate some advice from people who have actually used either gun, especially on a similar flow rate compressor to mine.

 

[Robotstar5]

Need a 3rd option, "used neither gun"

...and welcome to the forum.

 

[Bullina Chinashop]

Thanks bud. The Sealey looks like a really popular gun and the Fast Mover is their best seller (spoke to them on the phone this morning), so hopefully someone might have used both?

 

[aaran]

i have both. (i now own about 6/7 devilbisses lol)

both work well, the lvlp does use alot less air but i think even on a 50lt tank you dont have enough volume. ignore cfm what you need to know is what the FAD is on the compressor (ie: amount of air the pump moves not the amount it moves with a full tank) this will give you a much better idea of how long its going to last in use. remember its volume of air not the pressure you need when laying paint through hvlp of lvlp

both spray well, fairly decent fan and atomization but the fast mover lvlp has a much better transfer rate. dont shoot on a full fan i never went more than 2/3 with mine doing full cars (also saves on the air consumption) i would buy 2 btw, because neither can be rebuilt, mine lasted a full car before it started leaking at the trigger, it still sprays but compared to a second hand devilbiss its a night and day difference. devilbiss feels better, lays paint down better, spares are off the shelf in most paint suppliers shops etc.

hav e you looked on ebay for second hand cheap devilbiss sri guns (these are the smaller smart repair gti guns and use much less air than the full size gti etc) will likely last you 50x as long and spray better all day long

 

[Bullina Chinashop]

Great, thanks Aaran. Exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. A couple of questions for you (or anyone else) though.

1. Do the sri's have a wide enough spray pattern and big enough cup to do larger jobs?

2. Could I make my set up better by adding an auxiliary (converted propane cylinder) tank?

 

[MattF]

2. Could I make my set up better by adding an auxiliary (converted propane cylinder) tank?

If the pump isn't manly enough, that'll only store a bit more air before the compressor kicks in, but conversely it'll have to run for longer to fill both tanks. As you can likely guess, it's a poor workaround. Handy for short jobs, but not much, if any, difference over extended periods.

 

[ford34/2]

2. Could I make my set up better by adding an auxiliary (converted propane cylinder) tank?

Yes, BUT the big problem with adding an extra cylinder and I am guilty many many years ago, I even used inflated car wheels with two valves as receivers,air in air out, But the problem, if it takes 10 mins to fill your receiver full to cut out point, its gonna take 20 mins to fill both receivers, this is just a scenario depends on size etc. You may well find once you start to use air the pump will run continously as it hasnt the capacity to fill both receivers over a short space of time. I had a what is now a 47Kg propane cylinder as a receiver ( used to be in Lbs) fastened up in the roof of the garage. It worked well to spray cars, cellulose and enamel in the 60s 70s. My chanace option to buy a S/H Ingersol rand 14 Cu Ft, seemed like upgrading a fiat 500 to a rolls royce, With the guns I used then, I never ran out of air and the compressor tripped out at Safe working pressure on the regulator. The more modern HVLP guns do what they are intended to do. I`m not familier with the two guns you mention, but my Devilbis and Aerograph guns maybe 5 or 6, must be 30/40 years old have been scrupulously cleaned and maintained and never miss a beat with spares still plentyful, Will you run out of air?? how long will be a spray job be. I sprayed a Moris minor with a HVLp gun and a wee little Tiger compressor, on a blokes drive. (The car was not drivable,taxed insured etc)so plan the job and keep an eye on the pressure and let it build up, I use a wee pressure gauge attached to the inlet on the gun, easy to keep an eye on. I cant regulate the pressure from it but its an excellent visual reminder when air is not too plentyful.
Stan

 

[Bullina Chinashop]

Great, thanks fellas. I think I will adjust my game plan a little. I might just try 1 of the fast mover fmt3006 kits as it comes with multiple set ups, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.8 from memory. Pain in the a$$ washing it through between primer and top coats but in the short term, it will allow me to cover my needs while I wait for a nice 2nd hand Devilbiss sri.

Where the compressor is concerned, I might see how it goes and then if it struggles, add a home made auxiliary tank and extra cheapo compressor out of the local paper. I've seen a tiger 8/40 in there today for £50. If I am right in my thinking I should be able to set 2 up in tandem. That should boost my FAD for £75 ish. I know it sounds a bit monkey but I am on such a tight budget that I have to think on my feet.

If it starts to earn it's money, I can look further into the glorious world of tool porn, but for now I have to watch the pennies like a hawk.

 

[aaran]

a sri or mini spray gun will be better for furniture and especially on things like chairs etc etc. a large gun will paint them faster but you get more overspray from them etc and they are hard to get into smaller nooks and crannies (bugger to spray multispoke wheels with them for example)